Filipino actors

Get ready with award-winning actor Elijah Canlas

Jaco Joves

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Get ready with award-winning actor Elijah Canlas
For Elijah, his success still feels ‘surreal’

Editor’s note: The Get Ready with Me (GRWM) series features the morning routines of people from different walks of life, from their first grabs to the way they get ready for work, and to the items they can’t live without. In this installment, let’s get ready with an actor who got his “break” during the unlikeliest of times.

Anyone who has been in a “Boys’ Love” (BL) binge is most likely familiar with the boyish charms of Elijah Canlas, star of the popular web series Gameboys and its movie sequel. And while the viewers were captivated by the show’s storytelling, the global reception awed him and the rest of the crew.

“It was hard to expect anything because we were literally creating a whole new process that none of us have ever experienced. So, it was such a big surprise when we saw that people were watching and loving the show. Not just here in the Philippines, but around the world,” said Elijah.

He acknowledged, however, the irony of gaining achievements during such a tumultuous time: “It feels like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I’ve been blessed to continue doing what I love to do and I’m getting a lot of recognition for it. On the other hand, this pandemic is affecting so many people, so I wish my ‘big break’ happened during happier times for all.”

Gameboys was not the only good fortune that struck the 21-year-old. His performance in the acclaimed film Kalel, 15 earned him numerous accolades, including the Gawad Urian, FAMAS, and Asian Film Festival, among others. (Talk about a grand slam!) His roles in Edward and He Who Is Without Sin also garnered significant buzz.

Elijah thinks that everything feels “surreal up until now.”

“It’s rare to receive any validation in our craft. And gaining these awards has motivated me to be better as an artist and as a person. It also helped encourage me to believe that maybe I am on the right path.”

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If anything, the rising thespian became more fired up in “being part of meaningful projects and portraying challenging roles.” Aside from the next season of Gameboys, Elijah shared that he is working on a new film, is in talks for another series, and is even “starting to focus on creating music.” 

The long-term goal? “I also aspire to be a director one day,” he said.

But lest we forget, Elijah has some schoolwork to do first. A proud isko (state university scholar), he is currently taking up Philippine Arts at UP Manila, since he wants “to dive into our country’s culture and history.”

As admirable as it sounds, giving enough attention to each side of his double life isn’t a walk in the park. Elijah admitted: “I’ll be honest… it’s really hard to juggle both my studies and work. But I am thankful for my helpful classmates, understanding professors, and also the productions that are considerate about my studies.”

If you’re wondering whether he still has time to take care of himself, fortunately, Elijah has some serious self-discipline. He revealed how he gets through each busy day:

WAKING UP. I usually grab my phone first to turn my alarms off and check my schedule for the day. I have a ton of alarms because it takes me a while to get out of bed. Once I’ve gotten out of bed, I usually go straight to the shower. And after that, I make sure to grab a cup of coffee. Right now, I’ve been listening to a lot of Mac Miller and Kendrick Lamar in the morning. But my morning playlist varies from time to time.

SKINCARE ESSENTIALS. I actually shower at least 3 times a day. When I come from a shoot, I use a make-up remover and The Body Shop’s Tea Tree products every night before I go to sleep.

WORKING OUT. I have a coach that helps me train 4 times a week. I honestly just started working out diligently last August. I have my workout gear and equipment here at home. I don’t really follow a rigorous diet. I just make sure to rationalize my meals, eat protein, and not skip meals.

BEFORE I START. I always have at least two notebooks. One for taking down notes and reminders. And another for the weird ideas that I have. I always bring pens, highlighters, and a pencil with me to jot down my notes on the scripts that I have. Of course, I have my water bottle and mug for my coffee. I bring my film camera and video camera with me to hoard memories through photos and videos. And I always make sure to bring my Airpods so I could listen to music or watch movies during my free time. And for safety, because of this pandemic, I learned to always bring extra masks, alcohol, vitamins, and even my own make-up and make-up brushes to use on set.

IF I MUST GO. I usually prefer comfort over style. Loose pants or sweatpants, a loose shirt, and a hoodie for when the weather’s breezy. I did campaigns for Adidas and Havaianas before and I really like wearing the clothes and footwear as well.

COMING BACK HOME. I have to go straight into the shower as soon as I get back home. And everytime before I go out, I always make sure to take my vitamins and have extra masks, and alcohol inside my bag.

IF I’M STAYING IN. When I’m inside my room, I usually just wear shorts and no shirt, just topless haha.

BOREDOM BUSTERS. I do a lot to keep myself productive. I’ve always loved watching films and shows. When I was in high school, it was necessary for me to watch at least 3 films in a day. But now, time doesn’t really permit me to do that as much, but I want to keep learning about storytelling and even about music. I also listen to a lot of music. I usually listen to albums in one go for me to appreciate the artistry behind it even more. And then when I feel inspired, I write my own lyrics and melodies. Sometimes even short stories and the weird ideas in my head.

FAVE DELIVERS. I love pizza, ice cream, chicken, fries, and coffee.

QUARANTINE LIFE. It has changed drastically. Because before the pandemic, I had to go outdoors to gain some inspiration. I also liked seeing and meeting people in the flesh because I was never a believer in online communication. But now, we all have to stay responsible for ourselves and for each other. At first, it was definitely hard and made me feel down a lot of times. But I learned to adapt and make the most out of this situation.

We don’t know up to when this pandemic will be, but I’ve learned that life goes on. I can still keep working on the things that I’m passionate about and continue to make myself better each day. Whether or not we go back to what used to be normal, what’s important is we emerge from this pandemic as better people.

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Got someone you want to feature? Just email us at stories@rappler.com with the subject line “GRWM” followed by the name and the designation of the person. – Rappler.com

*Responses edited for brevity

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Jaco Joves

Jaco was a senior content producer for Rappler's BrandRap team.